WILDLIFE ACCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM (WARS) BRITISH COLUMBIA MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION

Domestic and wild animal vehicle collisions are one of the operational legacies of highway development. It is estimated that in North America over 500,000 wild animals are killed annually on major roadways. The climate, geography and physiography of British Columbia provides excellent habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. As many of the Provincial highways were built in valley bottoms severing winter ranges and their migratory corridors, conflicts and collisions are an annual occurrence. The paper examines the Wildlife Accident Reporting System (WARS) developed by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation to assess the impact of highways on wildlife, their migratory corridors and their use of critical ranges.